Process for imparting a transparent appearance to cotton.



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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDUARD HnnERLErN, a citizen of theSwiss Republic, and resident of Wattwil, Canton of St. Gall, Switzerland, have invented a new and useful Process .for Tmparting a Transparent Appearance to Cotton, of which the following 7 is a full, clear, and exact specification.

' ter on the fiber. I v i The influence. of the temperature on the get The chemical and physical changes wrought in cotton by action of concentrated caustic alkalis vary with the conditions under which the action occurs. The most important mode of operationis. the treatment of the cotton under tension at the usual temperature with the caustic soda lye, commonly called mercerization and having for its object the production of a silky lusmercerization' process has frequently been investigated and it has been established, broadly, that the mercerization efiect decreases as the temperature rises and increases as the temperature falls. Thus in Gardners work die 'Mercerisatz'on der Baum walla published in 1912 there is given at p. 88 a table which shows the relative shrinkage of the cotton at various concentrations of the caustic soda lye for term" peratures from |2 C. to +80 C.v .Quite generally, past investigations show that:

fiuenc'e on the degree of mercerization, that no no or insuflicieut mercerization efi'ect at .normal temperatures, the efiect 1s nnproyed by. diminishing the temperature, becoming,

1. In the application of caustic soda lye oi the concentration usual for mercerization, namely about 30 Baum specific gravity, the, temperature has no marked inis to sa the use of-a cooled lyehas-no better e ect' than the use of lye at normal temperature. 2.-When a diluted lye is'used, which has equal to that produced by lye of higher concentration at higher temperatures; that -.is to say, the same mercerization efiect is obtained by merceri zing with lye of usual concentration at the usual temperature and by mercerizing with a more dilute lye and operating at a lower tern 'erature.

Thus A. ll'iirchhacker as stated in Lehners Fiirber-Zeitung 1911, page 71, that the mercerization efiect is the better the lower the temperature, when a, lyeof under 30 525 Baum specific gravity is used, while at higher concentrations the -temperature has Specification or Letters Eatent.

* Y Patented ma a, rare.

application filed .luly 20,1917. Serial No. ltlfilt.

no longer any efiect. Experiments in which the lye has been cooled below 0, C. have shown no better effect. In the'same periodi- .cal (Z00. cit.) Franz Erbanlstates that cooling the mercerizing lye to 3l 0 C. I

saves lye.

Again, in O. Lindema-nns dissertation Beitmg'e cur Kemztm's der' Einwz'rlbuag dilute lye of 10-12 Baum specific gravity which at-normal temperatures produces no shrinking but by very strong cooling does produce a merceriza'tion luster.

German Patent No. 131134E and its patent of addition No. 131228 also treat of a merceri'zation by means of a lye at 0 C. The

process is for mercerizing one side of a tabric; wherein the effect of the cooled lye re-' sides is not apparent. lit may be supposed that the cooling is for the purpose or mercerizing a halt-wool fabric without attack of thewool fiber; there is no question or any particular action of the cooled lye on the cotton. Y

' .llt will be seen that thevarious, publications show that by cooling diluted caustic soda lye to about 0 (linearly the same etfeet may be obtained as with concentrated 1 lyes at ordinary temperature. j

The-present invention is based on the discovery that by treating cotton for a sutficient period with a caustic alkali lye cooled below, 0? C. and of such concentration as a transparent appearance which is quite different from the mercerization efi'ectshitherto known. For example, if a cotton fabric is impregnated for oneminute with a caustic soda lye of 30 Baum specific gravity and having a temperature or -10 0., acquires a transparentappearance, which 1s ,not lost even atterwashing and drying. The corn would mercerize the cottonat the ordinary temperature, that is to say ofratirleastfi lw Baum specific gravity, the cotton acquires its " printing the cold caustic soda lye only on certainplaces, or by printing a reserve, for

instance gum thickening, on the fabric and then subjecting the latter to the action of the cooled alkali lye.

Enhanced transparency is obtained by subjecting the fabric which has been treated at low temperature with the caustic soda lye, to the action concentrated sulfuric acid I of over 505 B.; hereby the sulfuric acid may also be applied at a low temperature,

whereby the duration of the action may be lengthened; or the fabric is first treated with concentrated sulfuric acid and then with the cooled caustic soda lye. Furthermore, this combined process may be applied for producing on cotton fabrics pattern effects in the sense of my U. S. Letters Patents No. 1144655 and No. 1201961 that is to say by acting withone of the reagents only in places upon the fabrics. Finally the process .of treatment with cooled lye may be conducted in the sense of my U. S. Letters Pat--- ent No. 1201961 and of my Letters Patent application Ser. No. 98295, filed May 18,

g 1916. Hereby transparent appearance is imparted to the material by acting upon the same alternately and repeatedly with alkali lye of about 15 Baum at a temperature below 0 (3. and with sulfuric acid ofover 505 Baum in such a manner that a treat ment with one of the sald reagents takes place between two treatments'with the other the said treatments and, if desired, stretched at least during one of the said treatments.

When such repeated treaments with, both the reagentsare-applied to cotton fabrics, a transparent appearance showing pattern effects can be obtained, when the reagent em'- ployed at least at one ofthe said treatments is caused to react only i'n places on the fabrics. i

What I claimis: V 1. The herein described process for imparting a transparent appearance-to cotton consisting in treating the material with caustic, alkali lye of at least 15Baum at a C. until the transparent effect is produced.

2. The herein described process for producing transparent pattern effects on cotton fabrics, consisting in treating the goods in places with caustic alkali lye of at least 15 Baum at a temperature below- 0 CI until the transparent affect is produced.

1-3. The herem described process for imparting a transparent appearance to cotton, consisting in treating first the material with caustic alkali lye'of at least 15 Baum,- at a temperature below 0 (3., washing the material after this treatment, subjecting the same subsequently for a few seconds to'a treatment with sulfuric acid of over 50%.? Baum and finally washing the material.

1. The herein described process for imparting a transparent appearance to cotton,

' consisting in treating first the material with caustic alkali lye of at least 15 Baum at a temperature below 0 (3., washing the material after this treatment, subjecting the same subsequently to a treatment with sulfuric acid of over 50% Baum at a temperature belpw 0 (3. and washing finally the mater1a 5. The herein described process for imparting a transparent appearance to cotton consisting in subjecting first the material for a few seconds to a treatment with sulfuric acid of over 505 Baum, then washing the material and treating it subsequently with caustic alkali lye of at least 15 Baum at a temperature below 0 (3.

6. The herein described process for imparting a transparent appearance to cotton, consisting in subjecting first the material to a treatment with sulfuric acid of over 50%? Baum at a temperature below 0 (3., then washing the material and treating it subsequently with caustic alkali lye of at least 15 Baum at a temperature below 0 C.

7. The herein described process for producing.transparent pattern effects on cotton fabrics, consisting in treating the oods in laces with caust1c alkali lye of at east 15 aum at a tem erature below 0 (3., washing the oods a ter this treatment and sub- I, jecting t em subsequently for a few seconds V the material being washed out after each of to a treatment with sulfuric acid of over 50% Baum and washing finally the goods.

8. The herein described process for producing transparent pattern effects on cotton fabrics, consistin in treating the oods in laces with caustlc alkali lye of at east 15 aum at a temperature below 0 0., washing the goods after this treatment and sub- 10. The herein described process for imparting a transparent appearance to cotton,

- consistingin acting alternately and repeatedly on the materlal with alkali lyo of at the fabrics with alkali lye naeaoea least'15 Baum at a temperature below 0 C. and with sulfuric acid. of over 50% Baum in such a manner that a treatment material being washed out after each of the said treatments.

11. The herein described process for imparting a transparent appearance to cotton, consisting in acting alternatel and repeatedly upon the material with a kali lye of at least 15 Baum at a temperature below 0 C. and with sulfuric acid of over 50% Baum in such a manner that 'a treatment with one of the said reagents takes place between two treatments with the other, the

material being stretched at least during one' of the said treatments and washed out after each of the said treatments.

12. The herein described process for imparting to cottonfabrics a transparent appearance showing pattern efi'ects,

consisting in acting, alternately and repeatedly upon of at least 15 Baum at a temperature below 0 C. and with sulfuric acid of over 50%; Baume in such a'manne'r that a treatment the said reagents takes place between. two

with one of treatments with the other,'the reagent employed at least at one of the'said treatments being caused to react in places on the fabrics and these latter "being washed after each of the said treatments.

13. The herein described process for imparting to cotton fabrics a transparent appearance showing pattern efl'ects, consisting in acting alternately and repeatedly upon the fabrics with alkali lye of at least 15 Baum at a temperature below 0 C. and with sulfuric acid of over 50% Baum in such a manner that a treatment with one of the said reagents takes place between two treatments with the other, the reagent employed at least at one of the said treatments being caused to react only in places on the fabrics and the latter being stretched at least at one of thev said treatments and washed after each treatment.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 21st day of June 1917, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

'Witnesseszf FRANK TIMMKE, EMIL MISLE. 5 

